Inst. p. 247. — Kay’s Syn. p. 433. — Gramen junceum folio articulato aquati- 
cum, Bauh. Pin. p. 5. — ScheucUz. Agr. pp. 331 & 333. — Gramen aquaticum, 
Johnson’s Gerarile, p. 13. 
Localities. — In boggy ground, and watery places; common. 
Perennial. — Flowers in July and August. 
Root creeping. Culms (stems ) upright, or ascending, from 12 
to 18 inches high, hollow in the upper part, filled with pith in the 
lower, without internal partitions, slightly compressed, with from 
2 to 4, or 5 joints, smooth, leafy, scaly at the base. Leaves from 
2 to 5 on each stem, alternate, sheathing, 2-ranked, nearly upright, 
forming an acute angle with the stem, compressed, taper-pointed, 
smooth, hollow, divided internally by numerous transverse parti- 
tions, which give a knotty or jointed appearance, especially to the 
dried leaves. Panicle terminal, upright, compound, its branches 
strong, elongated, so that the heads of flowers are remote, one 
above another, on each simple branch, with very few at the forks. 
Bracteas leafy, membranous, under the panicle, or its main branches ; 
the interior ones smaller, taper-pointed ; innermost, under each head 
crowded, egg-shaped, short and filmy. Sepals shorter than the 
capsule, oblong, spear-shaped, pointed ; the 3 inner ones with a 
somewhat more evident white membranous border. Capsule very 
large, egg-shaped, with 3 sharp angles, of a dark chocolate colour, 
tipped with the sharp-pointed, permanent style, much longer than 
the calyx, highly polished, as if varnished, giving the panicle a 
blackish appearance even at a distance. Seeds small, not tunicated. 
Sir W. J. Hooker considers Juncus nigritellus of E. B. Supp. 
t. 2643, [J. poly cephalus Sm. Engl. FI. v. ii. p. 177,) as a variety 
of this. It differs in the very simple ramification of the panicle, 
and the few but large heads containing from 5 to 8 spreading flowers, 
each upon a short stalk. It was found in the Highlands of Scotland 
by Mr. G. Don. 
The species with which J. lampocarpus is most likely to be con- 
founded, are acutiflorus and ohtusiflorus, but, when in an advanced 
state, it is readily distinguished from them both by its large shining 
dark capsules. While early in flower, the best marks are the more 
simple panicle, and the somewhat obtuse calyx. 
In wet seasons, when the seeds of lampocarpus are sparingly 
perfected, the stems throw out large tufts of leaves, as figured by 
Casper Bauhen, in his Prodromus Thealri Botanici, p. 12.; and 
by Parkinson, in his Thcatrum Botanicum, at p. 1270. Mr. 
Davies remarks, that he never observed these tufts of leaves in 
either J. acutiflorus or ohtusiflorus. See Sm. Engl. FI. v. ii. ; and 
Tr. of Linn. Soc. v. x., and v. xii. 
It was formerly a custom in England to strew fl >ors with rushes, a custom 
which still prevails in particular places. At Amhleside, in Westmoreland, the 
ancient ceremony of strewing the church-floor is still preserved, though there, as 
in most other churches, the plaited mat has superseded the permanent use of 
strewn rushes. This ceremony is called Rush-bearing ; and the day on which 
the festival is held is marked as a holiday in the rustic calendar. This custom is 
also still continued at Rochdale, at Warton, at Deptford, and several other places. 
